Wednesday, July 27, 2011

At Fame Adlabs on Wednesday afternoon when Priyanka Chopra walked the ramp for the last time in Fashion she got a standing ovation.

And the one to get the most emotionally moved was her dad.

Watching Priyanka Chopra play the small-town girl who leaves home to become a model in the metropolis was a deeply emotional experience for Dr Ashok Chopra.

Says the emotional daughter, "He just broke down. Watching my character Meghna in Fashion he saw his little girl from Jamshedpur going all the way to Mumbai to become Miss World.

In fact his sense of identification with that whole portion in Chandigarh where I'm this plump Punjabi girl leading a sheltered life with her parents, was very deep, " says Priyanka from Dubai where she attended the Fashion premiere on Thursday night.

"I identified deeply with those scenes where my character is trying to find her way in Mumbai. The only difference is my my character Meghna knows exactly where she was going. I had no clue.

Also, my dad never stopped me from pursuing my dreams. He was concerned yes. But never disapproving like Meghna's father. In fact my dad moved to Mumbai to be with me when I decided to move to Mumbai."

Days after the film's release there's a sense of outrage about the fashion industry being shown as a place of constant undercutting and heartbreak.

Protests Priyanka, "It's like that in any competitive field. We slogged hard on the research. Madhur and I gave our life and blood to the film. I was in discussions over the script with Madhur for five months before I said yes to Fashion."

Priyanka wore a short dress a Gavin Miguel for the Dubai festival.

Some cast members of Do Knot Disturb who were shooting in Dubai came for the premiere.

Says Priyanka, "We had David Dhawan, Lara Dutt and Riteish who were shooting in Dubai. Then we had the royalty from Dubai. Earlier we had a special screening of Fashion for the modeling world in Mumbai.

I had a ball catching up with the old times, screaming and shouting. The best thing is that the fashion industry supported us in such a big way. But people from the fashion industry love Fashion.

We've definitely taken real-life incidents from the ramp. Even the wardrobe malfunction scene is so poignant. The designers, models, choreographers…they were all supportive."

Carol Gracias whose wardrobe malfunction scene has been taken in Fashion, saw the film.

"She loved the film. Carol thought it's very classily done, " says Priyanka. "The coolest thing is that my film has taken an initial opening on the basis of one heroine's presence (me). That surprises me because that goes against the rules of the film industry."

The third season of the dance reality TV show “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa” will now be produced by its original format owner BBC.

“Yes, it's true, if there is another season of 'Jhalak...', BBC will be producing it themselves as they have set up their own production office in Mumbai, and this time around they would not like to outsource it to a third party, ” said Siddhartha Basu, head of Synergy Adlabs that produced the previous seasons of the show.

The show, based on BBC's “Strictly Come Dancing” and loosely based on American show “Dancing With The Stars”, pairs celebrities and professional dancers to compete with other pairs in various dance forms on a highly competitive stage.

According to Basu, Sony Entertainment Television, on which the show was aired, licensed the format from BBC, and also commissioned the production from them. Sony TV then in turn commissioned Synergy Adlabs to produce the show.

While TV actress Mona Singh won the first season of the show, actress Prachi Desai bagged the top honours in the second season.

The next season is expected to go on floors in summer 2009 and dance maestro Saroj Khan might be one of the judges on the show.

South Indian actress Rambha rubbishes reports that she is doing television soaps and says she will move to the small screen only after taking retirement from big screen.

"People are making up stories on the basis of my judging a reality show on a TV channel. I may think of a television career if roles offered excite me. But that will happen only after I retire from the big screen. I am choosy about my roles, " Rambha told.

She accepted the offer to judge a reality show because she liked the concept, she said.

"I am still a sought after heroine. The forthcoming Tamil movie 'Vidiyum Varai Kaathiru' features me as the female lead opposite Prakash Raj, " said Rambha, who has done more than 100 films, including some in Hindi.

In a career spanning 16 years, Rambha has played lead roles opposite top Bollywood heroes like Salman Khan, Ajay Devgan, Suniel Shetty, Govinda and Mithun Chakraborthy.

Born Vijaya Lakshmi to Telugu parents, the squint-eyed actress adopted screen name Amritha and later changed it to Rambha.

Her uncanny resemblance to late Hindi actress Divya Bharti was one of her claims to all-India stardom.

Mercedes-Benz and a multinational soft drinks company insisted on removing their logos from scenes in "Slumdog Millionaire" because they did not want to be associated with a Mumbai slum, the film's director says.

The film, based on Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup's rags-to-riches novel, premiered Thursday night at the gala closing of the London Film Festival to critical acclaim and is predicted to be one of the biggest hits of the year.

But director Danny Boyle told The Times newspaper that Mercedes-Benz and the drinks company believed their brands would be sullied if shown in a Mumbai slum - the film's setting.

He said Mercedes-Benz pulled out of a chase scene that culminates with a slumlord in dark glasses emerging from a white saloon car.

“The thing (you did not see) was the Mercedes logo on that car, ” Boyle said after the screening.

“We had to take that off because Mercedes don't want to be associated with being in a slum. We wanted to use a Mercedes because… this guy, this gangster would drive a Mercedes... But if you use Mercedes then clearly you have to get permission, and we asked for their permission and they refused it, ” the director said.

The paper said Friday Mercedes-Benz apparently gave permission for its logo to appear on the gangster's car when it was parked outside his mansion and on a car hired by wealthy American tourists.

Boyle also spoke about having to disguise the logo of a global drinks company. “There is a scene where the kids are on a rubbish dump and they get offered these bottles of… popular fizzy drink.

“Not only were we not allowed to use their name, basically we had to paint over the label on the bottle as well.

“So we ended up paying tens of thousands of pounds painting out these symbols which are meant to unite the world, aren't they?” Boyle added.

Designer Shabina Khan has designed a special new look for Sanjay Dutt and Kunal Kapoor who play the lead strars of Rahul Dholakia's (Parzania) next, Lamha. The film is reportedly a mature love story and is being extensively shot in Kashmir and deals about various subjects and issues including army, terrorism, Kashmiri Pandits mass exodus etc.

Sanjay Dutt's role in the film is that of an undercover cop. Shabina has given Sanju a new look that's absolutely stunning. Dutt has been made to looks raw and very rough and tough just like the way undercover cops look.

Kunal Kapoor plays a Pathan in the film. Shabina has stylized his look and costumes accordingly. Shabina did a research on the Pathan. Also with the kind of look that Kunal has, Shabina's costumes gel very well with his tall personality.

Anupam Kher plays a freedom fighter in the film. Director Rahul Dholakia says "It is too early to talk about the look right now but yes the film is based on Kashmir and will throw light on different issues ranging from terrorists, the army, the displaced Kashmiri pundits and the locals. Bipasha plays a fundamentalist and she would also do a lot of stunts in the film."

Everyone saw a different side of Salman Khan on the sets of Subhash Ghai's musical extravaganza 'Yuvvraaj'. He turned out to be quite a stellar attraction to some of the students of Whistling Woods International, not in the class but in the gym.

While shooting for a particular portion of 'Yuvvraaj' in the Goregaon Filmcity region it was quite a site to see Salman hanging out in the WWI gym bonding with students and even giving them lessons in grooming and physical fitness.

The actor who is playing the lead singer in forthcoming 'Yuvvraaj' emphasized the importance of physical fitness, look, and style. While asked about his experience with interacting the new generation,

Salman says with a grin "It was really fun to see these future actors, technicians in such a high spirit. It used to be an informal sessions with them while working out, I will always prefer to pass the knowledge spontaneously rather than sitting in a classroom.

My advice will always be that an actor must spend a lot of time and care for his body and face because this is the only instrument with any actor to play the role and to exhibit his talent of acting on a big screen." Yuvvraaj is slated to release on 21st November.

Ladies and Gentleman, we are proud to present Oye… It's Friday only on Imagine and presented by the one and only Farhan Akhtar. !

"This show is something I want to watch… it has no rules and no boundaries… and its only aim is to entertain. I've done a lot of different things in my life and career and the reason I want to be a part of Oye.. It's Friday is because it is so excitingly unconventional, " says Farhan.

Farhan is the first in the line of seriously irreverent, seriously interesting personalities that will host Oye…It's Friday on Imagine. These hosts will switch and swap over the course of the series and will surprise and entertain you week after week!

Debutant director Kaushik Ghatak says his "Ek Vivaah...Aisa Bhi" is not a take-off on Rajshri Productions' last hit "Vivah" and insists that the family drama is a completely fresh project.

"'Ek Vivaah...Aisa Bhi' is not a sequel or a remake of 'Vivaah'. There is no carry forward of any character or the story from 'Vivah' in the film. It is a completely fresh project with a fresh story, " Ghatak told on phone from Mumbai.

"The film has been titled such because it is the story about a couple who stay away from each other for 12 years due to circumstances, but after a mutual understanding.

"The understanding between the two is difficult to find even in married couples. Their love binds them together for such a long period of time before they get married and that's where the title of the film comes from, " he added.

Releasing Nov 7, the film is written by Sooraj Barjatya and Ashapurna Devi and stars Sonu Sood and Eesha Koppikhar in the lead as Prem and Chandni.

"I did a lot of study on both the actors - watched their films before meeting them. Eesha has done almost all types of roles and I think Sonu is a little underrated as an actor.

"When I narrated the characters to Eesha and Sonu, they understood the intensity and emotions of their characters as well as the story and were completely into it. Once I started shooting, I realised I could not have found a better Prem and Chandni as my characters, " he said.

Ghatak also says that "Ek Vivaah..." is personal to him and has an individual appeal, as it will allow the audiences to draw personal inferences while watching it.

"The surrounding of the story is very close to my heart. Like the protagonists in the film, my wife and I waited for seven years before getting married. Also, offering prayers to the basil plant and lighting the lamp...that the audiences will watch Eesha doing in the film...is what we have been watching our grandmother and mother doing in real life.

"Every little nuance from real life has been kept in mind while making the film and I am sure common people will appreciate and associate with it as their own story in their sub-conscious, " he said.

However, unlike other movies, "Ek Vivaah..." does not boast of an exhaustive pre-release promotion.

"Rajshri Productions have their own strategy of a slow release for their films. They want the audience to watch the film and appreciate it but they don't believe in over-publicising.

They have done whatever is needed to inform the people and now they want the film to get publicised by word of mouth, " said the director, who has been in the trade for almost a decade.

Not many people know that Ghatak forayed into showbiz as an apprentice assistant to filmmaker Anurag Basu, whom he regards as his "Godfather". He started his first independent show as a director with Bengali serial "Amra Povashi" on Alpha Bengali and with Balaji Telefilms' "Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi" in Hindi.

Ghatak's works are known to be women-centric, which also shows in his movie.

The director said: "Women's psychology is the least explored area on the Indian screen. We always tell the story of the hero and not the story of the woman. I have always wanted to portray family values and explore a woman's psychology in what she goes through in life - handling it with a lot of love and respect."

Ghatak is at present waiting for "Ek Vivaah..." to hit the screens and is "juggling with a couple of more ideas" for a new film.

At the same time, he doesn't rule out returning to the small screen.

"I'd surely love to do TV some time in the future. TV has a kick of its own and is very fast paced. It has its own deadlines and meeting them is challenging, but fun, " he said.

Looks like once upon a time on-screen couple, Sri Devi and Anil Kapoor don't really share a warm relationship with each other off screen! This in spite of being devar and bhabi now! As we all know, Sri Devi is married to Anil Kapoor's brother Boney Kapoor.

The duo was seen together in public after a long time at the felicitation function of Anil and Boney's father Surinder Kapoor where the entire Kapoor Khandaan was seen together.

The reports are that at the function the brothers appeared sullen and not warm to each other. Same goes for Sri who seemed lost in her own world. It looked as if they were posing for the camera just for formality's sake.

Anil was the first one to leave the function thereafter.

Maybe they feel that looking grave would make people take them more seriously!

Shabana Azmi is a well known activist apart from being an actress. Now her niece, actress Tabu too is aiming to follow her foot steps it seems.

A source revealed, "Tabu had recently gone to America for a few days. Not many are aware that this trip wasn't meant for shooting any film. Tabu had actually gone there to participate in March by a women's organization there.

This women's march was in protest of domestic violence against women. Tabu after participating in this protest march also interacted with the local press and expressed her views about the issues."

Well with declining film roles and age no more on her side, Tabu seems to be slow and steadily opting for another full time profession it seems! She also as a guru in her own family in her aunt Shabana Azmi so it doesn't look a hard path for her ahead!

The cultural assimilation of Kashmir into India just got a little easier.

In what could be considered a historic move to make Bollywood feel welcome in the troubled Valley, the Mirwaiz (official spiritual leader) Umer Farooq invited producer Bunty Walia for tea to his residence on Sunday afternoon, assuring the anxious producer that the Valley is open to Mumbai's cinema re-consolidating itself as a cultural centre.

And now the entire cast of Bunty Walia's Lamhaa including Sanjay Dutt, Bipasha Basu and Kunal Kapoor have been invited for lunch to the Mirwaiz's residence.

In the light of the troubled recession in the Valley of the Dal, this invitation from the spiritual leader who has the entire Kashmir Valley supporting his ideology, Walia's interaction with the Mirwaiz acquires huge creative and commercial ramifications.

Says the excited producer, "My tea invitation wuth the Mirwaiz went off really well. He turned out to be an intelligent and articulate man with a great knowledge of our cinema."

The Mirwaiz spoke to Walia of the great love that the people in the Valley have for Bollywood and how it can be renewed vigorously.

Says Walia, "Though the Mirwaiz doesn't have any favourites he said people in the Valley love Bollywood stars and movies. He was happy to know Lamhaa would bring such a large Mumbai crew to Kashmir."

Sanjay Dutt and Co's lunch with the Mirwaiz is expected to be fixed as soon as the unit catches its breath in the Valley.

"We hope to take up his invitation in the next two weeks, " promises Walia as the rest of his unit sigh in relief after having secured supreme protection by the top-most spiritual leader in the Valley.

Golmaal Returns has opened to packed houses and Kareena Kapoor has once again proved her clout at the box office. The czarina of Bollywood has been the highlight of Golmaal Returns.

Kareena had been featured prominently in the publicity which was actually a strategy to promote the film and the strategy has paid off and how!

A trade analyst reveals, " Golmaal Returns has recorded the biggest opening ever and the fact that Kareena was centrestage in all the publicity and the fact that the film has worked and how has proved that she is the biggest draw."

. Golmaa Returns is a sure shot hit and possibly Super Hit if it sustains into second week. The film started with excellent collections in the morning and is doing extraordinary well in the evening shows across the country.

The bookings are extremely strong for tomorrow as well which means the film should record excellent figures over the extended weekend.

The opening for the first day is earth shattering and a bumper 95-100%. The film has matched historic openers like Om Shanti Om and Singh Is Kinng on day one in terms of capacity though the film has been released on a lesser volume of shows than those films.

Its the best ever openinmg that Kareena has ever had and it's time for Bebo to celebrate.

Recently, Sonu Sood got a first hand taste of the celebrity status he has gained post the super success of Jodhaa Akbar and Singh Is Kinng. He visited his home town in Punjab and was shocked to find that throughout his short stay there, there were 150-200 people thronging at his residence to meet him or at least have a glimpse of him.

On being queried, Sonu at first makes light of the happenings in his life. "It's ok, let's not make a big deal about it. It happens. I should consider myself as a real star once I start delivering hits all by myself. I am hoping Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi' proves to be a major happening in my career as a solo lead."

Sonu Sood acknowledges though that it has been the Singh Is Kinng effect due to which his presence in the home town was celebrated to such an extent.

"I strongly feel that Singh Is Kinng really helped me. After all, it was a huge commercial success, though it was only after visiting Punjab that I realized the impact the film has made. It is amusing to see people running behind you and absolute strangers visiting you at home. That's the magic of Singh Is Kinng ", says Sonu who had a good kick start to the year with Jodhaa Akbar.

"I guess I have been successful in getting the right balance of films on my plate.

There is a large commercial audience which wants to see you in a Singh Is Kinng kind of a setup while there are others who appreciate you more if you get to do an intense role in Jodhaa Akbar. It's ok, as an actor you have to cater to both the segments of society", he reasons.

What made him refuse Mukesh Bhatt's Jashn in that case? Wasn't this film (which is being directed by Raksha Mistry and Hasnain Hyderabadwala) allowing him to cater to any particular segment of society?

"Somehow I was not convinced about the script", admits Sonu, "I am sure Vishesh Films make great movies with great music. But I have to decide my own course too. I have some good movies of mine lined up and now for me to sign a film, it has to be something really exciting; something really better. In any case, why such a hue and cry about me choosing 'not' to do a film. In democracy, you are allowed to choose, right?"

The Kapoors and the Bachchans have been thick Bollywood pals for long. Until of course the much publicized Karisma Kapoor – Abhishek Bachchan breakup happened!

Of late there has been news of the family friends getting back together.

But according to fiesty Kareena they are just rumours as nothing of that sort is happening or likely to happen in the future.

She has reportedly said, "The 'patch-up' decision cannot be taken individually. This one's quite complicated, since the two families are involved now. There's no truth to the news-report about our teaming together. There's no project on the cards either."

Apparently she was miffed with Abhishek too as there were rumours of him being responsible for getting her replaced with Priyanka Chopra in Karan Johar's 'Dostana'.

Kareena sings another tune altogether and says, "I have moved on. Karan is a brother and he has offered me a far more challenging role in his next film that will be directed by Rensil D'Silva."

It seems Kareena's actually not ready to forgive the Bachchans yet.

Abhishek had apparently also extended the olive branch and said that he would love to work with Bebo again as she was his first heroine which makes her very special. But Bebo really seems totally uninterested!

She's too busy concentrating on her career and enjoying the luck bestowed upon her (even a senseless 'Golmaal Returns' has done well) to think of the Bachchans! Maybe she'll change her mind when the days are bad!

There were many options open for Karan Johar to do the sizzling item song – Shut Up and Bounce in his produced Dostana. Many top line actresses were willing to do this number shot in Miami for free for the sake of working under his prestigious banner – Dharma Productions. But Karan zeroed down on Shilpa Shetty. Why you may ask? Well Karan's reply is, "Because she is the hottest!"

He adds, "We finally zeroed in on Shilpa because she has the best body in town. She has done a fantastic job but credit also goes to choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant and music director Vishal Shekhar. Shilpa's number will be the introductory song along John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan."

Tarun Mansukhani who is making his directorial debut with Dostana too was impressed by Shilpa's professionalism. He says, "Shilpa was comfortable wearing anything for the song. We were to shoot the song in seven days but completed it in four days flat."

Shilpa agreed to be a part of Dostana immediately, not only because it was a Karan Johar production but also because it had her favorite team of film crew members such as – Manish Malhotra as the stylist, Mickey Contractor for the make up and Latika for her hair.

The actress is pretty amused with an international magazine that has openly claimed that Sharma is dating an Australian. It was also reported that the two have been caught red handed cootchie cooing in each other's arms.

Kim can't stop laughing at this story. Quips the actress, " Arre I am very much single. What is this news?" when questioned.

A close friend of Kim said, "She is very much single and not ready to mingle. " The friend said that Kim's sole focus was to concentrate on her career right now.

"Kim is so much immersed in doing work that she does not have time for love.. Also she is happy being single at the moment."

Ram Gopal Varma has roped in a huge ensemble cast for his up coming next, Rann. Apart from signing his favourite actor, Amitabh Bachchan to play a pivotal role, the maverick filmmaker has also got in Riteish Deshmukh, Sudeep (hero of Phoonk) Gul Panag and Paresh Rawal to play important parts.

Manisha Koirala too gets a new lease of life in Bollywood as Ramu has cast her too in his film. She is back to Ramu camp after almost six years gap since Company (2006).

"When News Channels, Political parties and Industrial czars are the principal movers and shakers in a film, there is obviously a tremendous scope for high drama.

This is not so much my conscious intention as the director of the film, but the very demand of the subject matter. Having said that, even the so-called high profile people at the end of the day are, 'people'.

And no matter how powerful they are, they are not without their share of insecurities, egos, jealousies, and dilemmas." states Ramu in his blog about Rann.

Explaining in details each and every cast member of his film, Ramu states - I really enjoyed the process of casting for the incredibly exciting and thrilling characters of Rann.

The cast of Rann -

Amitabh Bachchan as Harshvardhan Malik - The founder of the first ever private news channel in the country INDIA 24/7, the Harvard-educated Harshvardhan Malik is India's most respected media personality. He is a hardcore upholder of journalistic ethics. No wonder his Channel is battling for survival!

Riteish Deshmukh as Purab Shastri - Armed with a degree in journalism, Purab Shastri truly believes that the media should be the check point for the people of a country, and therefore, it should report news, instead of manufacturing news.

Purab's thinking sets him apart from most youngsters of this country. While everyone is chasing their individual dreams, Purab aggressively wants to work towards a better India. Needless to say, a clash between Purab and the powers-that-be looks inevitable. It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong!

Sudeep as Jay Malik - A go-getter and highly aggressive and ambitious son of Harshvardhan Malik, Jay looks at his Dad's news channel purely as a business enterprise that must make profits to justify its existence. He hates that his competition is doing better than him.

Manisha Koirala Nalini Kashyap - She is the programming head of Harshvardhan Malik's news channel, INDIA 24/7. Having been in the industry for long enough, she has developed a practical view of how things operate here.

And this comes in direct conflict with what her boss Harshvardhan Malik, thinks. Juggling the cut-throat world outside with the idealistic universe of her boss, Nalini Kashyap has her job cut out.

Paresh Rawal as Mohan Pandey - It is every politician's dream to become the Prime Minister of his country. To that extent, the leader of the opposition Mohan Pandey is no different from his contemporaries. The only difference being - if the need arises, Pandey can and will kill to get the coveted chair.

Gul Panag as Nandita Sharma - The assistant of an ad filmmaker, Nandita Sharma someday hopes to bag an independent feature film. She is in a live-in relationship with her boyfriend Purab. Nandita is smart, educated, and intelligent.

She is also highly indifferent to what's happening in the country, and first thinks about herself and her man, before anything or anybody else. On both counts, she represents the youth of India.

Mohnish Behl as Amrish Kakkar - He was the first to have the VISION and the foresight to realize that even the business of delivering NEWS can be made ENTERTAINING.

Amrish therefore can be safely held singularly responsible for taking the television news industry to the dogs, or to the heights, depending on how you see it.

His channel is no less than a shady brothel, the content that is NEWS is no less than a cheap hooker, and Amrish Kakkar - the most powerful pimp around.

Rajat Kapoor as Naveen Shankalya - Apart from being the son-in-law of Harshvardhan Malik, is also one of the topmost industrialists of the country.

Despite this, he is the most insecure man on earth, and won't rest till he becomes the number one industrialist in the country. His best buddy Mohan Pandey becoming the Prime Minister of India will surely help his cause.

Raima Sen as Yasmin Hussain - An ex-model, and fiancée of Jay Malik, Yasmin watches TV, reads gossip columns, and for most part, takes everything that is dished out to her, AT FACE VALUE. She does not understand the intricacies of power games, and hidden motivations behind actions of people.

The resources at her disposal to know what is true and what is not, are limited. She is not innocent, and she is not clever either. Yasmin therefore epitomizes the 'common man'.

Rajpal Yadav as Anand Prakash Trivedi - A creative editor, Anand Prakash Trivedi has a knack for sensationalizing even the driest story and making it sound like the story of the decade with super catchy headlines. More than any filmmaker, he makes far better movies. Only, he calls them NEWS.

Well, looking at the starcast of RGV's Rann, one can say that this in itself is a 'breaking news'.

What's with our Bollywood babes bragging so much about being admired greatly by Hollywood biggies?

Will Smith has been a great fan of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's beauty and appeal for long. He's talked about his admiration for her openly and during his visit to India some two years back.

He also said that he had offered her the leading lady's part in 'Hitch' but she couldn't do it! Appearing in big talk shows in the US and doing a few small time international flicks must have made it possible for Ash.

We only wish this appreciation had actually helped her to bag a big mainstream Hollywood film as well!

The others have made sure that they are not left behind either. Mallika Sherawat had screamed from rooftops about Jackie Chan being completely floored by her. Later it appeared that she was shooting her mouth off for her 'few seconds role' in her disastrous international debut 'The Myth'

Pictures of Kareena Kapoor and Sylvester Stallone were splashed across the media recently. There were talks about him finding her pretty, wanting to work with her and so on.

However there were claims that Stallone only did the Bollywood film- 'Kambhakt Ishq' because he was in a financial soup. Maybe that's what made him talk overenthusiastically about Kareena!

Now there's news of Priyanka Chopra spending time with Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith at the opening ceremony of the Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF).

Reportedly Banderas even expressed a keen desire to work with the actress and also talked about his knowledge of Bollywood and the financial leaps it has made in recent years.

The heroes haven't been far behind either. There have been Hollywood fans of SRK and mostly Akshay King Kumar after he shot for 'Kambhakt Ishq'!

We only wish the so called admiration would produce a true blue international star from India too much like how the South Americans Benicio Del Toro, Gael García Bernal, Salma Hayek etc or the South East Asians Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh or Gong Li have made it!

If you remove sunset from the ocean, then, Serenity becomes meaningless

Likewise, if you remove Aishwarya Rai from Divinity (and vice versa), then, not just divinity but also humanity becomes totally meaningless! That's the magic of this lady, who celebrates her birthday today. Aishwarya is someone, with whom, the terms like elegance, stunning, striking, dazzling, gracious, gorgeous, beautiful etc...find themselves so very obliged and honoured, only to be merely associated with her!

Today is the day when even the best of writers and poets find themselves in a tight spot, because they find it so very difficult (read 'impossible') to describe the beauty in mere words.

It's Bollywood Paradize ultimate honour to be wishing the dew-kissed beauty Aishwarya, a Very Happy Birthday. You too can honour yourself by posting your best wishes belowFor Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

Some of the world famous abbreviations are VIP: Very Important Person, CBI: Central Bureau of Investigation, UFO: Unidentified Flying Object, AIR: All India Radio, FIR: First Information Report, to name a few. But the abbreviation that not just precedes but also supercedes them all is 'SRK'...yes... our very own SRK- Shah Rukh Khan. Here is a man who celebrates his birthday in style on November 2, and has every reason to do so, for he came to Bollywood with no 'famous surname' but worked his way through and made his surname topping all the existing ones! That's Shah Rukh Khan for you, the man who allegedly has 30 hours in a day and who does not know the spelling or meaning of the word 'fatigue'.

Bollywood Paradize gives you a chance to wish Shah Rukh Khan - the star, the legend, a Very Happy Birthday, by simply posting your message below

Akshay Kumar is going to break all possible records of hosting TV shows by Bollywood stars by getting a whopping Rs. 2.5 crore per episode to host the adventure reality show, Khatron Ke Khiladi's second season.

Sources close to the Khiladi Kumar revealed to us, "He has been approached by COLORS channel and Endemol (the show's makers) to once again host the reality show series.

They have also agreed upon the price quoted by him which is a staggering Rs. 2.5 crore. His popularity is on the rise and with the year 2009 looking all set to make Akki invincible at the box office what with highly anticipated releases of his mega budget films like Chandni Chowk to China, Blue, Tasveer and Kambaqqt Ishq.

Akshay was very popular as the host and it helped the new launched channel then COLORS grab a lot of eye balls resulting in high TRPs."

Akshay by getting Rs. 2.5 crore per episode will be the highest ever given to any Bollywood star. Akshay has now proved who is the real "King" when it comes to money making!

Khatron Ke Khiladi 2 aka Fear Factor 2 will not be shot in South Africa where the first season was shot with 13 Bollywood and modelling world beauties. This time a new city will be tapped. Also this time there will be a mix of male and female celebrities this time.

I've been cruising through the dog rescue sites lately, looking at photos of old Labs, Collies, and Dachshunds, all available for adoption. I have two 10 year old shelties, so it's not like I need another old dog, but they just tug at my heart. The article from The Week, linked from the title above, puts it beautifully. It is an excerpt form the book, Old Dogs, by Gene Weingarten and Michael S. Williamson. I quote:

Some people who seem unmoved by the deaths of tens of thousands through war or natural disaster will nonetheless grieve inconsolably over the loss of the family dog. People who find this behavior distasteful are often the ones without pets. It is hard to understand, in the abstract, the degree to which a companion animal, particularly after a long life, becomes a part of you. I believe I’ve figured out what this is all about. It is not as noble as I’d like it to be, but it is not anything of which to be ashamed, either.

In our dogs, we see ourselves. Dogs exhibit almost all of our emotions; if you think a dog cannot register envy or pity or pride or melancholia, you have never lived with one for any length of time. What dogs lack is our ability to dissimulate. They wear their emotions nakedly, and so, in watching them, we see ourselves as we would be if we were stripped of posture and pretense. Their innocence is enormously appealing. When we watch a dog progress from puppy hood to old age, we are watching our own lives in microcosm. Our dogs become old, frail, crotchety, and vulnerable, just as Grandma did, just as we surely will, come the day. When we grieve for them, we grieve for ourselves.

I continually marvel that every writer is compelled to write about their beloved dog when it dies. I did it too, when Tank died. He was that once in a lifetime dog, and I will never forget him. We had a blast throughout his youth, and in his old age, I clung to him, afraid he would go away before I was ready. I was never ready.

October has been a hard month for me. It is the 26th anniversary of my mother's death. A friend died October 3, 2007. I had my last visit with my father in October last year, and he died Nov. 2. Horrible fires raced through San Diego at this time last year, and two of my friends' homes burned down, and one friend (and client) lost her elderly cat.

When you lose someone or something that matters to you, you can't help but remember other losses. I guess that's why I'm thinking about Tank, and the love of an old dog. There is just nothing like it. For all the old dogs I have owned, some for a very short time, I wouldn't trade them for anything. The sorrow of losing them is nothing compared to what they give back. Unconditional love, friendship, and an appreciation for the time we have on this earth and the time we have together, however short or long it may be.

The distinguished Indian economist, philosopher and Nobel Laureate, Amartya Sen, will be attending the world premiere of a stunning new film, Colours Of Passion (Rang Rasiya) to be held at the London Film Festival today (Oct 30). Written and directed by one of India's most acclaimed director's, Ketan Mehta, Colours Of Passion is the tale of the life and times of the great and controversial, Indian painter, Raja Ravi Varma (1848- 1906).

It deals with religious intolerance and denial of freedom of expression by fundamentalists and hardliners - sadly a fact even today.

The film features two of the finest Indian actors in the lead, with Randeep Hooda as the artist, with Nandana Sen as his muse.

Nandana, who is the daughter of the economist, from his first marriage to Nabaneeta Dev Sen, an Indian writer and poet; plays Sugandha, a young woman, whose beauty captivates Varma and inspires him to create exquisite paintings based on themes from Indian mythology and classic literature. She becomes his inspiration...his love.

Amartya Sen, 74, who is world renowned for his work on famine, human development theory, poverty, political liberalism and gender inequality, received the Nobel Prize in 1998, "for his contribution to welfare economics".

He was born in Shantiniketan, educated at Presidency College, Calcutta and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was also the Master from 1998 - 2004. He is the author of several papers and books including; Development as Freedom (1999), and The Argumentative Indian (2005).

He was also awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian order, in 1999. Sen, who is currently at Harvard University, will be arriving in London for the screening at the Odeon West End on October 30, along with other luminaries, the director, Ketan Mehta, and producer, Anand Mahendroo, and the two leading actors.

Actress Kareena Kapoor has been appointed the new brand ambassador of soft drinks giant PepsiCo's snacks. She will be seen with boyfriend Saif Ali Khan, actress Juhi Chawla and cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni in a new ad campaign for the product.

"It is a privilege to be associated with the brand as it is a big hit among youngsters. I'm excited and looking forward to a long and fulfilling association with the brand, " said Kareena in a press statement.

Two years back just around the same time, Rajashri Productions' Vivah was about to be released. Directed by Sooraj Barjatya the film was touted to be a super flop at the box office.

With both its lead actors Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao back then having a cold run, the film's failure was assured. Also, the music of the film was simply not picking up and was termed out dated.

But the film went to become a super hit all across the nation proving all its detractors wrong. Now, today two years later, a similar scenario is being experienced with Rajshri Productions' latest upcoming release, Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi.

There is a strong buzz that the film is definitely going to prove a dark horse as its carrying very good reports. It may not have a big star cast (Eesha Koppikar – Sonu Sood) to rely on but those who have seen it feel the film has very strong content and the film works.

Not many must be aware that the film is a remake of Rajshri's 1976 hit, Tapasya starring Rakhee alongside Parikshat Sahni and Asrani.

The story of Ek Vivah... Aisa Bhi is about an elder sister (Ishaa Koppikar) who sacrifices all for the better of her siblings. The film is due for an all India release on 7th November.

After Taare Zameen Par, child artiste Darsheel Safary will be next seen in Priyadarshan directed Bum Bum Bole, which is an adaptation of the hit Iranian film 'Children of Heaven'.

According to our sources, the latest addition to the starcast is Kaveri Jha, who was last seen in Hijack opposite Shiney Ahuja. Besides Darsheel and Kaveri, the film also stars Atul Kulkarni and Rituparna Sengupta.

While Atul plays Darsheel's father and Rituparna plays his mother; Kaveri has been signed to play the role of Atul's sister. News has it that the film runs on two parallels, one that deals with Darsheel and his faith in God, while the second is about the relationship between Kaveri and Atul.

What is the connection between Kenneth Haywood and Sammir Dattani? No prizes for guessing as the answer is NONE! The only connection is the WiFi connection.

Well ever since Sammir read about Kenneth's ordeal, where the ATS had questioned the American for over twenty one days if he had any links with terrorist outfits, (Terrorist outfits had used Kenneth's personal computer sending across an email claiming responsibility of the Ahmedabad blast to a leading television channel five minutes before it actually took off) the actor's has begun putting his knowledge of computer technology to good use.

Sammir said, "After having read about Kenneth's incident of threat emails being sent from unsecure wireless routers, I have secured not only mine but also my neighbours connections. Many neighbours in my building have the WiFI connection just like me but none had taken the required precautions.

I enabled them to install WPA encryption and told them not to broadcast their SSID. I also explained to them in lay man's language that not securing your network is like driving your car with the passenger seat doors being open.

Gladly everyone showed keen interest in what I had to share with them and have now taken the required precaution."

Sammir added smilingly, "I'm just happy that my interest in understanding gadgets is being put to good use."

Shahid Kapoor's first film was the Ken Ghosh directed love story Ishq Vishk, after which the teenage boy danced his way into the hearts of many a female fans. Now Shahid and Ken are coming together with yet another film called Yahoo that revolves around music, song and dance.

The makers of the film, UTV Motion Pictures, have come up with a unique way to promote and create maximum awareness for their film.

Considering that Hindi films are huge among the NRI junta, UTV Motion Pictures along with Verizon Communications Inc. have come up with a Bollywood themed dance competition. The contest titled 'Bollypop' is open to all U.S. residents and is maintained by Saavn.com, the largest digital distributor of South Asian movies, music videos, audio tracks and ring-tones.

Contestants (individuals or dance troupes) need to upload a video of themselves dancing to a Bollywood song, which can be uploaded for free at www.verizon.com/bollypop.

Every week, people can watch featured videos submitted by contestants on the Asian Variety Show (AVS) television program, the most widely watched and longest running Bollywood news show in the United States.

Director Ken Ghosh and choreographer Marty Kudelka (who has worked with artists such as Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake) will select the winning video from the 10 most popular videos as voted by visitors at www.verizon.com/bollypop

The winner/s, of the dance contest's grand prize will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Mumbai in December and will appear in one of the dance sequences of the Shahid Kapoor starrer Yahoo. In addition to the trip to Mumbai and movie appearance, the grand-prize winner/s will also get a three-day trip to the New York City to attend a celebration in their honor.

After having been a top model, she made a stunning debut opposite superstar Shah Rukh Khan in Om Shanti Om. Her next film, Bachna Ae Haseeno, had her romancing her real-life sweetheart Ranbir Kapoor.

And now she is 'All Yours' as she graces the cover page of fashion magazine 'Cosmopolitan Luxury'. She is none other than the super sexy Deepika Padukone who is the cover girl in the October issue of 'Cosmopolitan Luxury'.

Deepika is seen sizzling in a golden colored dress which perfectly compliments the Diwali festive season (a time when people do indulge in some gold shopping).

The actress also talks about her breakthrough into films, her relationship with Ranbir and her style statement. For all you die-hard Deepika Padukone fans, this one is a complete must-have!

A fashion icon is considered to be a person who endures the test of time and who elicits respect for their fashion statements.

One such true fashion icon is Amrita Arora, who has been considered to have one of the best fashion senses in the film industry and someone whom the new generation looks up to.

She has made heads turn with whatever she wears and has even shown the ropes to her fans on how they can just do about any style-inspired thing themselves.

To which she says, "its always better to dress in clothing that makes you feel comfortable. I never follow ramp fashions, but make my own style. I love to mix and match my clothes with assorted accessories, so as to not have a conventional look and I guess that makes me stand apart." Here's to one confident lady and her amazing style sense.

Vatsal Sheth who seemed to have come out of the state of eclipse after his distorted debacle in Tarzan The Wonder Car, has found an unlikely one-man support-system in Sohail Khan.

The two worked together and hit it off like a house on fire while playing tavelling- companions in Samir Karnik's Heroes. Since then Vatsal has been getting a hand-up from his adopted Bhaiyya.

After Heroes Sohail has been recommending Vatsal for other films. He got him a plum role in Subhash Ghai's production Paying Guest.

And now Sohail and Vatsal play brothers in Vicky Chopra's Seasons Greetings.

Says Vatsal, "It's good to have someone look out for you. After Tarzan The Wonder Car I didn't want to do any and every film. I waited. In Heroes Sohailbhai and I play friends traveling together.

He put me so much at ease I forgot I was years younger than him. We actually become buddies as we traveled together through the film.With Heroes I feel I've come of age.And now he plays my bro in Seasons Greetings."

And that bonding persists.

Says Vatsal, "In an industry where actors are known to steal scenes and roles from under your nose Sohailbhai has been going out of his way to be good to me. It's true he got me Subhash Ghai's Paying Guest. The role was offered to Sohailbhai. When he couldn't do it he recommended me."

Vatsal is still remember for his long stint as the teenage pinup boy in the serial Just Mohabbat.

"Back then when they had done a popularity survey, Shah Rukh and Hrithik were in the first two places. My character Jai in Just Mohabbat was named third, " says Vatsal.

Any regrets about his career? "Just one, My film Hostel which was gritty raw film about ragging in student campuses featuring students who had actually been through the ragging, got shelved. I'd have liked that film to come out.

I had worked really hard on getting the character right. But it's okay.I've lots to look forward to. I'm patient. I proved it by waiting for three years after my movie debut in Tarzan The Wonder Car for the right offers."

Sohail who's shooting for David Dhawan's Do Knot Disturb in Abu Dhabi adds, "Vatsal is a lovely boy. I'm really fond of him."

The shocking news doing the rounds is that former superstar Rajesh Khanna has gone all bold and has indulged in smooching and intimate scenes in his upcoming film in 'Wafaa'.

In the film directed by Rakhi Sawant's brother Rakesh Sawant, Khanna plays a Thailand-based multi-millionaire who marries a scheming sex-starved airhostess that is after his wealth. The movie has Pakistani actress Saana Khan as his object of affection and motormouth stripper and Rakhi too will makes an appearance.

He's reportedly said, "The intimate scenes are justified because we are shown as husband and wife. It is a mature love story with bizarre twists.

It's a logical demand of the situations where sex plays a pivotal catalyst role and it's not for titillation. The Censor Board has cleared Wafaa with an 'A' certificate. After having acted in over 170 movies, I don't need to do a film which has vulgarity as its theme."

First there was news about Khanna teasing young girls at a Mumbai hotspot. And now he's trying hard to make a comeback by playing bold roles.

Looks like the man's missing his youthful days just too much. He simply can't get over the fact that once upon a time women around the country used to swoon over him!

That's not all. He's also acting in the television drama 'Raghukul Reet Sadaa Chali Aayee' where Mona Ambegaonkar plays his wife. The TV director says that the script demanded that his wife should be someone much younger to him in the serial too!

Seems the man is trying to forget that he's a father of grown up girls and a grandpa too now!

He also wants to work with superstar son-in-law Akshay Kumar and says that it would be a casting coup of the former superstar and the current superstar. He's only waiting for a mind blowing script and Akki's approval.

Aamir Khan's perfection ways haven't ever been hidden. And it has come to the fore yet again!

Most people especially the ladies can't stop raving about the actor's bald head-bare chest look in his upcoming flick 'Ghajini'. But apparently Aamir is not happy with his new look!

Reportedly the actor feels that he couldn't give his hundred percent and could have done a far better job with his killer street-fighter look had he got the chance to train more.

He's written in his blog, "So what do y'all think of the first look of 'Ghajini'? Actually I could have gotten into better shape. Had to stop training during the release of TZP, so, lost a month and a half there.

But it was impossible for me to train through that period. And I was also a little careless with my diet around that time Grrr... How I wish I had found the mental strength to keep at it."

Madhur Bhandarkar is known for making hard-hitting and realistic cinema; hence facing controversies around his film's release is something which is not new to this talented filmmaker.

His latest film Fashion starring Priyanka Chopra, Kangna Ranaut and Mugdha Godse in lead roles opened across cinema halls yesterday (Oct 29) and this time too, Madhur had to deal with a fair share of controversies.

Firstly, there were rumors that Kangna's character in the film has been inspired by noted Delhi based model Geetanjali Nagpal. Then the censor board irked Madhur by giving him an 'A' certificate as they felt the film had certain objectionable scenes for kids.

However, the director could have got himself into more trouble had he included a gay kissing scene in the film.

The scene had actors Samir Soni and Anil Kumar share a kiss in a car but Madhur decided to drop the scene at the last minute as he didn't want any further complications

. However, for all of you who indeed want to have a dekko of the same, the director is planning to include it in the DVD of the film. Must say, Madhur has already started promoting the DVD of Fashion in a smart way.

It's customary for two stars to be pitched against one another in real life whenever they are paired on screen.The last time we heard murmurs of discontent was when Bipasha and Deepika apparently couldn't stand one another while shooting Bachna Ae Haseenon.

But John and Abhishek get along like a house on fire. To their regret they had to shoot a music video for Dostana separately.

Producer Karan Johar who just landed in Mumbai after two weeks of location hunting in Los Angeles says the song Maa da ladla was shot during his absence. "I left it entirely to my director Tarun Mansukhani and to the choreographer Feroz (who's Farah Khan's assistant for ten years). So you'll have to ask Tarun what happened."

Tarun Mansukhani has his own explanation for why Abhishek and John shot the song separately.

"I deliberately didn't shoot the song with John and Abhishek together. I wanted at least this one song Maa da ladla to look different from the rest of the film where they're constantly together, fooling around, chumming it up. They shot individually, so the masti of the rest of the movie was missing on the sets."

Tarun trails off sadly, and then perks up. "The last shooting before this was for Desi girl where all of us were together. It was so much fun."

The Maa da ladla song was shot on 15, 16 and 17 October at Filmistan studios and onlookers watched Abhishek and John arrive on separate days.

"This is a music video which we'll use for promotion and probably for the end titles, "explains Tarun.

Says Abhishek, "It was wonderful to shoot with John Abraham again after Dhoom. It was fun on the sets because we were all friends."

Adds John, "Abhishek is not co-star or colleague. He's a friend. I dote on him. I love him to death. We never compete. We complement each other in Dostana. We share a great chemistry. Abhishek and I are a couple in the film."

Around two years back Neha Dhupia had announced through every single medium that she would never go back to doing sexy roles or expose her body and enact raunchy love making scenes.

Her quote, "Only two things sell in Bollywood – Shah Rukh Khan and Sex" had become very famous.

She had done a lot of hot roles during her initial days in Bollywood with films like Qayamat, Julie etc. But as she began getting A list films she wanted to keep her image clean.

But now her new co-star, the Pakistani actor, Mikaal Zulfikar (Shoot on Sight) has spilled the beans on Neha Dhupia's U-Turn.

The actor has stated, "I am doing Jag Mohan Mundhra's next after doing his Shoot on Sight. It is called Room Mates and it is a love triangle featuring me along side Neha Dhupia and Sneha Ullal. It's an erotic thriller with lots of sexy, raunchy scenes."

Well Neha we are not complaining if you have decided to go back on doing hot scenes!

Former Miss World Yukta Mookhey is all set to tie the knot with New York-based businessman and financial consultant Prince Tuli here Sunday, family sources said Friday.Prince, who is the nephew of Nagpur’s leading hotelier Mohabat Singh Tuli and son of his partner Kukku, met Yukta at a dinner party some months ago and it was the fabled ‘love-at-first-sight’ sort of thing, say his family members.

The marriage will be solemnised in traditional Punjabi style at the Kamptee Road Gurudwara Sunday noon. A reception will be held at Tuli International Hotel the same evening.

“With both families readily consenting, we decided to tie the knot at the earliest rather than spending time in dating and stuff like that,” Prince told reporters here in an informal chat.

“What I liked most in Yukta was that her Bollywood background has not taken away from her the innate simplicity and respect for elders and the Indian culture that she imbibed while growing up,” he added.

A consultant with the leading New York-based J.P. Morgan company, Prince also owns two companies in the US megapolis, but has plans to shift his business to Delhi.

Prince said their diverse backgrounds wouldn’t be a problem. “In fact her interest in the hospitality industry will be of immense help to me,” he said.

The couple have plans to honeymoon in the Maldives after spending some time in Colombo where Prince owns two houses.

Moving over from serious films to comedy ones, Shreyas Talpade has won the hearts of the masses. Shreyas seems to be on cloud nine these days after being appreciated for bringing alive the character, Mahadev Kushvaha, in his recent film 'Welcome to Sajjanpur'. Let's see how well he fits into Sharman Joshi's role in his upcoming and well-awaited film, 'Golmaal Returns.'

Q – You were new among the four actors in 'Golmaal Returns' so was there any kind of nervousness?A – At first, I was quite nervous but Ajay, Tushar and Arshad along with the director, Rohit Shetty readied me so well that I didn't feel new at all. I think this is necessary for the betterment of the film.

Q – In the earlier 'Golmaal, ' Sharman could understand what Tushar says very easily. How difficult was it for you this time?A – Actually, the story's completely new this time. This film is not linked to the previous one in any way. Apart from the names of the characters, everything else is new. The best part about this film is that no one can understand what Tushar says and that creates comedy. But what's funny is that the audience will understand what Tushar says quite easily…

Q – You're being appreciated for the getup of a girl in the film. Would you like to say something about it?A – It feels great to be appreciated and praised for it. We've all worked really hard for this. But all the credit goes to my makeup department for transforming a guy like me into someone so beautiful. To be honest, I had never even imagined it.

Q – What was your reaction when you were told about your getup?A – When Rohit told me about this at first, I was shocked but when he said that everyone else is ready for this, I thought, well, let's try this. And what had to happen, happened. All of us enjoyed a lot. All four of us couldn't stop laughing when we saw each other for the first time in our new look.

Then, all the girls over there too started to laugh after seeing us. We had to shoot as girls for three days and mind you, those three days were the most enjoyable ones.

Q – After Nagesh Kukunoor, Rohit Shetty happens to be one amongst the young directors. How is the experience of working with young directors?A – Both of them have a new outlook towards things. They are also very focused on their work. They know what they're supposed to bring out of their actors and place before the public. As for Rohit, he's a very open-minded person. Working with such directors can be fun in its own way. Because of his kindness, I call Rohit a 'gentle giant.'

Q – How different is this film from your earlier comedy films?A – I haven't done any special comedy in my previous films. This is the first time I get to do full-fledged comedy. In spite of 'Apna Sapna Money Money' being a comedy film, my character was in no way comic.

'Welcome to Sajjanpur' was a different type of comedy. People liked the comedy in 'Om Shanti Om.' So I just hope that I get a surprise in the form of 'Golmaal Returns' this Diwali just like I got one last Diwali in the form of 'Om Shanti Om.'

Q- How much have you enjoyed this comedy personally?A – A lot. We had a lot of fun on the sets after shooting everyday and the atmosphere was no different from that of a party. I'm sure you'll be able to see that in the film.

Q – Normally, actors play pranks on the director but here the director, Rohit Shetty used to play pranks on the actors. Were you ever a victim of his mischief?A – I was never a victim and that helped me become a part of the team very easily. Rohit's pranks would bring about freshness on the sets. The best part about his pranks was that he never hurt anyone physically or mentally.

Q – It is being said that you are not Nagesh Kukunoor's favorite anymore because you are not a part of any of his upcoming films. Is this true? A – (laughs) This is absolutely untrue. Just like I want to work with different directors similarly, he too wants to work with different actors. If a character suits me, Nagesh will definitely choose me for the role.

Every story has its own demand. If I wasn't his favorite, he wouldn't have done three films at a stretch with me. These days, he's doing films that require macho men which is why he chose John and Akshay Kumar.

Q – So will we see you in his next film?A – Right now he's busy with three films so I can't really answer this. All I can say is that I'm very happy for Nagesh because he's been able to make the kind of films he wanted to for a long time.

Q – Tell us about your coming films?A – Next is Sangeet Sivan's horror film, 'Click.' I play the role of a fashion photographer here. Mukta Arts', 'Paying Guest, ' a comedy film, comes next. Then is UTV's 'Aage se Right.' There are a few more films in the pipeline about which I can't say too much right now.

Q – Apart from these, what about 'Hum Yahan Hain, ' 'Ishaan' and 'Main Phir Aaunga'?A – These films aren't being made anymore